


The Quiet In Between

by NamelessScribe



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26207755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessScribe/pseuds/NamelessScribe
Summary: The life of the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries is anything but normal. Busy on the best of days, and chaotic on the worst, Korra and Asami knew that a life together would never be dull. However, between saving the world and coming up with the next great innovation, they have learned to cherish the quiet moments of their lives.A collection of one-shots in no particular order. Most will be stand alone, some will connect, but all of them will look at the less dramatic moments in the life of the Avatar and the CEO.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 6
Kudos: 83





	1. Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings all, and welcome to my one-shot/idea dumping ground! Each chapter will be it's own story, and any ratings changes or warnings will be posted at the top of each installment. This story is for general audiences, and there is a minor allusion to PTSD symptoms, but hopefully nothing that will cause harm. Anyway, here's the first thing I've written in 10 years. Enjoy.

** Storm **

Asami wasn’t sure what had woken her up. She remained still as her eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness of her bedroom, and her mind became more aware of her surroundings. As far as she could tell, there was nothing out of place, no reason for her to be awake in middle of the night. Rolling on to her back, she turned her head to look over at Korra, wondering if it was something her girlfriend had done that had awakened her. It wasn’t unusual for one of them to murmur something in their sleep, or for restless shifting to disturb the other. It was an unfortunate side effect to the traumatic events that had shaped their lives, and Asami sometimes marveled at the fact that they didn’t wake up screaming more often, or that they were even able to sleep at all.

Thankfully, it appeared that Korra was sleeping peacefully tonight, sprawled on her back with one arm tucked behind the pillow, the other draped across her belly, and her mouth slightly open. Asami watched her for a moment, a fond smile spreading on her lips as she listened to Korra take slow, even breaths.

Then, she heard it. A deep rumble in the distance that seemed to echo in her chest, followed by the distinct patter of rain hitting the roof. Looking towards the large window on the other side of the room, she watched as a flash lit up the sky, followed by another low roll of thunder.

_A storm must have come in over the bay,_ she thought.

Another flash of lightning, another rumble, this one sounding closer than the previous two, and Asami felt a sudden desire to get a closer look at the storm. Careful not to wake her girlfriend, Asami slipped from the warmth of their shared bed and walked to the window. They had left it partially open to allow fresh air and to help keep the room cool in the late summer heat. Standing next to it, Asami could smell the rain, a smell she always found comforting. A particularly bright bolt of lightning lit the sky, and without really thinking, she started to count.

_One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four-_ Asami felt the slight vibration of the following thunder as it rattled the glass in the window.

She repeated this mantra for the next few minutes, counting the seconds between lightning and thunder to gauge the distance of the storm. A gentle smile spread on her face as she recalled all the times she would sit with her parents when she was little, wrapped up in a blanket and her mother’s arms, as they watched the storms that swept through the city. One of her clearest memories was of her running to her mother, not out of fear but excitement, when she was woken from a nap by a loud clap of thunder. Her parents had been sitting on the back porch in the late afternoon, and they snuggled her between them on the porch swing and watched the storm together, barely a word being exchanged between them. Asami’s chest ached and she closed her eyes against sudden tears as she realized it was the last memory she had of Yasuko before her death.

“Hey,” came a soft and slightly raspy voice from the bed. Asami opened her eyes and looked towards the owner of the voice. Korra was sitting up, one hand covering a yawn.

Asami swallowed at the lump in her throat before speaking. “Did I wake you?”

Korra shook her head before tossing the blankets aside and standing. “No, I heard the thunder, woke up, and realized you weren’t next to me.” Shuffling over to where Asami was standing, she gave a sleepy grin and wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s waist, resting her forehead against Asami’s shoulder. “I missed you.”

Asami gave a noncommittal hum and returned the embrace before looking back out the window.

“You okay?” Korra asked, lifting her head, and giving Asami an appraising look.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just lost in a memory.”

“Good memory?”

Asami nodded and Korra laid her head back on her shoulder, letting the sound of the falling rain fill the silence between them.

“I love thunderstorms,” Asami began, not sure why she felt the need to share. “So did my mom. I used to sit and watch the storms with my parents whenever we had the chance. She taught me how to calculate how far away the lightning was by counting the time between the flash and the thunder. Those were some of the most peaceful moments of my life.”

Korra remained silent but tightened her hold just a little and placed a soft kiss to Asami’s neck. Asami rarely talked about her mother, but when she did, Korra was content to listen for however long Asami needed, only speaking when she was sure the other woman was done sharing and that the words were welcome.

“It’s funny,” Korra started, “how a storm, something so chaotic and powerful, can be soothing at the same time. How it can bring a sense of peace.”

Asami let out a soft chuckle, causing Korra to look up at her with a puzzled expression. Running a hand through Korra’s messy brown hair, she said “I suppose that’s why I love you so much. You’re a source of chaos and power, yet you bring me a sense of comfort and peace.”

Korra stared at Asami for a moment, face blank, before a smile broke through and she leaned in, touching her lips to Asami’s in a long, gentle kiss. Breaking apart, they rested their foreheads together, eyes closed, just breathing each other in.

“You ready to head back to bed?” Korra asked.

“In a bit. The storm isn’t over yet.”

Leaning against one another, they listened as the rain tapered off to a light drizzle, and the thunder grew distant. While this storm may have ended, Asami knew this memory, this moment of peace, would stay with her for a lifetime.


	2. Simple Comfort

Asami had not had a good day. Korra could tell just by looking at her the moment she stepped off the ferry onto Air Temple Island. Her normally confident stride was instead stiff and just shy of shuffling, shoulders were drooped with exhaustion, and vibrant green eyes were dull with the trials of a long day. For a moment, Korra felt guilty for asking her to come to the island instead of meeting the engineer at her apartment in the city. Plastering a pleasant smile on her face, she eagerly greeted Asami at the start of the path leading up to the main hall of the temple.

“Hey babe, long day?” Korra asked as she wrapped the other woman in a hug. Korra immediately felt the tension in Asami’s muscles and her smile dropped for moment.

“Yeah, you could say that. I’ve been on my feet since seven this morning and skipped lunch,” Asami replied, returning the hug, and placing a kiss on Korra’s cheek. “I’m glad I opted for flats instead of heels.”

“Well, dinner’s almost ready. Come on.”

Hand in hand, they made their way to the family dining area in companionable silence. Upon entering the room, Ikki and Meelo were quick to jump up and run to the engineer in greeting. Thankfully, their hugs were less enthusiastic than their shouted greeting, and they quickly retook their seats. Rohan, however, barreled right into their legs as only a four-year old is capable of, and earned a twin pair of grunts for his efforts. Korra noted Asami’s grimace at the impact, but it disappeared almost instantly and turned into a fond smile as the toddler took her hand and insisted Asami sit next to him. As Korra observed the scene, she caught the way that Asami gingerly sat down and rubbed at her lower back. Something was definitely off.

The Avatar spent the entirety of the meal dividing her attention between Tenzin’s family and her girlfriend. Asami was quieter than usual, and the corners of her mouth showed her tension, despite the polite smiles she gave each family member she interacted with. Korra also noted that she did not finish her dinner, despite having said she had skipped lunch.

After dinner was completed, Asami offered to wash the dishes, and Pema’s grateful smile as she struggled to clean Rohan’s face prevented Korra from objecting. Bringing the last of the dishes into the kitchen, she observed the raven-haired woman for a few moments. Again, she noted that Asami’s whole body looked stiff, and she kept shifting from foot to foot as she scrubbed the dish in her hand.

“Hey,” Korra said, walking up behind Asami, placing her hands on the other woman’s waist and pulling her back against her chest. “You okay? You seem really tense.”

The taller woman relaxed a bit and dried her hands before grasping Korra’s and placing their entwined hands over her lower belly.

“I’m okay. It’s just…one of _those_ days.”

It took Korra a few seconds to catch on to what was being implied. “Ah.” She placed a gentle, sympathetic kiss to her girlfriend’s shoulder before asking, “How bad?”

“Cramps are worse than normal,” Asami answered matter-of-factly, “but not the worst I’ve ever had, and my back is killing me. I'm sure the stress of the new public transit proposal deadline coming up isn't helping matters. Mother nature’s timing could be better,” she added with a wry grin.

Korra huffed a laugh against her neck and gently began to massage Asami’s belly. “Let’s get you into a nice hot bath.”

“There’s still dishes left to clean.” Asami’s rebuttal ended on a groan as her girlfriend’s strong fingers found a particularly tense spot on her lower back, just above her right hip.

“Meelo owes me a favor,” Korra said archly. “C’mon, let’s go.”

They left the kitchen hand in hand, only stopping briefly for Korra to whisper something into Meelo’s ear and watching him scramble to the kitchen without argument. With a smug grin, Korra continued to lead them down the hall and towards the bathhouse, only to have Asami pause as they entered the hallway. Korra raised an eyebrow in question.

“As nice as a bath sounds,” Asami started with a sigh, “what I really want is to just lie down for a bit and relax.”

Korra gave a soft smile of understanding and redirected them towards her room. The moment they stepped in and closed the door, Asami let out a small groan and untucked her blouse from her skirt, rubbing at her back. Korra realized that her girlfriend was feeling worse than she had let on and reached out to draw her in close for a long hug.

In silent agreement, they parted and began to change into their nightclothes. Korra noted that Asami opted for a pair of sleep shorts and a loose fitting short sleeved shirt. As much as she appreciated the other woman’s collection of silky nightgowns, and other more enticing sleepwear, there was something about a comfy Asami that always appealed to Korra. It brought to mind those few lazy days off where they styed in all day, or late mornings where neither of them had anywhere particular to be until the afternoon. As fashion conscious and professional as she was in the public eye, the CEO was perfectly happy sitting on the couch in loose cotton pants and one of Korra’s tank tops, sketching in her notebook or reading. It was a sight that only Korra was privy to, one that she coveted.

Stretching out on her bed (which she had “modified” with a soft mattress cover that she kept well hidden from Tenzin), the Avatar watched in comfortable silence as Asami removed her makeup and brushed out her hair. Once the older woman was done, Korra held out a hand and waited for Asami to take it before pulling her down on top of her.

“Korra?” Asami asked, a bit perplexed at the intimate position as the tan woman shifted them until Asami was lying between her lover’s legs, their bodies pressed flush from hip to chest.

“Trust me?” Korra asked with a soft smile while pushing the other woman’s shirt up slightly so her belly was bare and met with the warm skin of her own bare midsection.

“Always,” the engineer smiled, then sighed as she rested her head in the crook of Korra’s neck.

Ensuring Asami was positioned exactly how Korra wanted her, she placed her hands on her girlfriend’s back and began to slowly rub the tense muscles. Taking deep, measured breaths, Korra entered a sort of half meditation, concentrating on easing her love’s aches and pains as best she could. Minutes passed in easy silence, and Korra thought Asami had started to fall asleep when she felt the other woman shift and lift her head to gaze at her with a look that held both amusement and a question.

“Sweetheart,” she started, and Korra stilled her hands, “are you…heat bending?”

Korra gave a lopsided grin. “Yeah, a little. Mostly my hands, but I raised my body temperature a bit, too. Thought it might help.”

The raven-haired woman pressed a loving kiss to soft lips before snuggling back down into her human pillow, letting out a soft laugh against Korra’s neck. “My own personal hot water bottle. It’s perfect.” 

Smiling wide enough that her cheeks hurt, Korra resumed rubbing up and down Asami’s back, letting the mellow sounds of night on Air Temple Island wash over them from the open window. Eventually, Asami’s tense muscles relaxed and her breathing evened out into sleep. Using some mild air bending to keep from jostling the slumbering woman too much, Korra managed to pull the blanket over them. With one last kiss to the top of Asami’s head, Korra drifted off into peaceful sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me when I was woken up by a midnight thunderstorm. There's something very meditative about hearing the rain and thunder and watching lightning at 3am. The rest of the world disappeared for a while. It was nice.


End file.
